I will share new products that I find to help our families affected with Autism and news stories that I find interesting.

Wednesday, April 6, 2016

5 Myths About Raising A Child With Autism That Need To Go Away

Myth #1: You caused it.
Years ago, when early autism researchers probed its causes they
quickly zeroed in on their suspected somehow did something wrong.

culprit: Parents. More
specifically, they believed that emotionally closed-off “refrigerator moms” caused
their children’s autism. Thankfully, parents are no longer wrongly
blamed for causing autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but that doesn’t keep
some from lingering over whether they — or their genetic code —

“Because no one can tell us what caused our child’s autism (except
that it is likely a combination of genetic predisposition and some
unknown environmental factor), parents are left to wonder where in the
family tree it came from,” said Lynn Vigo, a family therapist at Seattle
Children’s Autism Center and mother to a 19-year-old daughter with autism and intellectual disability.

The fact is that there is no single known cause of autism, and experts generally believe that there are several factors at play, both genetic and non-genetic. (Important: none of them are vaccines.) “One
myth is that there is a single cause of autism ... one [specific] thing
that has clearly changed in the world in the last 20 to 30 years
resulting in more individuals with autism,” said Catherine Rice,
director of the Emory Autism Center. “It’s much more complex than that.”

Myth #2: The treatment options are clear...
There is no medicine that can “cure” autism, nor is there any one
treatment that’s been proven to be the most effective at managing its
core symptoms. For parents, that means that a diagnosis is simply step
one on a long journey to secure targeted support. Studies have shown,
for example, that many parents lose out on significant income because
of the time it takes them to help manage their child’s care.

“What’s really needed is a community of support for the individual, and for their family,” Rice said.

Myth #3: ...and if you don’t start early, it’s too late.
Public health campaigns
have worked hard to educate parents about the importance of early
intervention, because it can make a fundamental difference in their
lives, said Rice, who has worked on such efforts for the CDC.

However as a result, some individual families end up feeling
unnecessary anxiety and stress that they didn’t get their child a
diagnosis early enough, and that they missed the boat on getting them
meaningful help.

“I say, as early as you can is best, but it’s never too late to start the support and services that somebody needs,” Rice urged.

Myth #4: All parents have similar experiences.
There’s a popular expression in autism parenting circles that if you
know one child with autism ... you know one child with autism. The same
goes for parents and parenting experiences, Vigo says. “I know parents
who have more than one child with autism in their family,” she said.
“And they tell me they parent each child differently.”

Well-meaning family and friends might try and generalize, or bring up so-and-so whose son has autism in order to provide some kind of help — but maybe they shouldn’t.

“When in doubt about how to provide meaningful help, ask the parent!”
Vigo urged. “We love to talk about our kids, and are grateful for the
support. We know our child better than anyone and can give guidance on
relating to him or her.”

Myth #5: It’s always a challenge.
Yes, parenting a child with autism is hard and demanding. It’s stressful. It can be emotionally and financially draining.
But parents of children with autism love their sons and daughters. No
one should assume that parenting a child with autism is a burden, or
that these children do not bring their parents enormous joy.

“I love my daughter with every fiber of my being,” Vigo said.
“Because of her I’m a better parent, clinician, human being. She has
taught me so much about what truly matters in life.”

“Our kids work so hard and do their best under difficult circumstances,” she continued, “and we are so proud of them!”